About Her Redemption
by HeyJewel
Summary: After they move to Wisconsin, Sonny declines Chad's marriage proposal. Upon realizing her mistake, Sonny must chase Chad halfway across the country in an attempt to fix what she has broken.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Well, I'm starting a new multi-chapter because I got so much positive feedback for "You Opened Up My Eyes". I know it starts out pretty depressing, but I assure you a happy ending. I hope the melancholy mood doesn't turn you guys off! Also, there are two songs that kind of inspired this fic: "About You Now" by the Sugababes (acoustic version) and "Yesterday" by the Beatles. Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

Sonny Monroe stood silently in the hallway, watching her boyfriend staring mindlessly at the television screen, a dead, almost zombie-like look marring his usually flawless face. She felt a pang of guilt surge through her as she considered the reason why Chad seemed to be feeling out of sorts lately. It was her fault. It was all her fault. She had diminished the spirit of Chad Dylan Cooper.

She gave a heavy sigh, leaning back against the wall and slumping down to the floor in a heap. She could no longer hold back the tears that had been screaming to be released ever since she realized why Chad had been less than lively lately.

Just over six months ago, Sonny left _So Random!_ Twenty-one was simply too old to continue performing on a children's comedy show, so after both Tawni and Grady had said their farewells, Sonny and Nico soon followed suit. Zora stayed behind, the soul veteran in an entirely new cast. With her days as a _Random_ numbered, Sonny made plans to return to Wisconsin. She missed her home terribly, and no longer wished to stay in Hollywood where she would no doubt turn into a washed up former child star.

It was with a heavy heart that Sonny expressed her desire to return to her native state to her best friends and her boyfriend, to whom talking to hurt even more. After several tear-filled arguments, Chad decided, rather resolutely, that he would also leave Los Angeles and move to Wisconsin with Sonny.

"Chad, no, I can't let you give up your entire life for me!" Sonny pleaded with him as he packed his suitcases. "Your career, your family, your home is here! You can't do this!"

Chad dropped the shirt he was holding and walked over to Sonny. Gently cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead, he said, "You are my life, Sonny. I would much rather give up my fame then be forced to give you up. I'll find a new job. And as for family and a home, that's wherever you are. I couldn't live without you."

Sonny opened her mouth to rebuttal, but was silenced by Chad's lips crashing down upon hers. After that night, Sonny no longer made any attempts to persuade him to stay behind, and soon the two boarded their plane, destined for Wisconsin.

It was certainly odd for Sonny to be back in her small hometown after becoming accustomed to the hectic frenzy of Hollywood, but she was thrilled to be home. Chad on the other hand was having difficulty adjusting to this new quieter life.

He would never mention it to her, and though he tried to hide it, Sonny could tell he was missing his former life. He tried to feign happiness, but she could see right through his fake smiles and forced cheer. He may have been the greatest actor of their generation, but Sonny knew him well enough to tell the difference between acting and sincerity.

Of course, Chad was not always depressed. On the contrary, most of the time Chad loved spending his days taking classes with Sonny at the local University, or making dinner and renting a movie at their apartment. Chad was in love with her, and wouldn't want to be anywhere without her, but naturally he would miss his home. If he was ever alone his mind would always drift back to his family's stately mansion he had left behind in California. If he was flipping through television channels, and it happened to land on one of those celebrity gossip shows, Chad would remember the best friends he no longer saw. It was then that the homesick feeling would creep up on him. Sonny knew this, and so tried to keep him occupied. There was always a moment like this, however, where Chad would sneak off to be alone, and the sadness would take over.

Sonny, sitting on the floor in the dark hallway, swallowed hard and wiped her eyes dry. Taking a deep breath and forcing a smile on her face, she walked into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Chad, placing her head on his shoulder.

"I love you so much," She whispered, interlinking his hand with her own.

"I love you too." Chad snapped out of his trance and looked down at his girlfriend, life returning to his face, and very gently kissed her on the lips. "Let's go for a walk."

"A walk?" Sonny questioned, looking out the window at the falling snow dusting the ground (another thing Chad was having a hard time adjusting to). "In this weather?"

"Yeah, why not?" He looked at her eagerly.

Sonny was skeptical for a moment, and then smiled. "Alright, let's go."

They bundled up in their winter jackets, gloves, and hats and set out into the snow. Chad, holding Sonny's hand tightly, led her to the park around the corner from their apartment. Even in the winter, the park was almost always crowded. It was home to an outdoor ice rink, one of Sonny's favorite wintertime places growing up. Sonny gazed admirably at a father teaching his small daughter how to skate by supporting herself with milk crates, remembering how her own father had taught her the same way. Chad caught her staring.

"Do you want to ice skate?"

Sonny obliged, and soon, after renting their skates, were zooming around ice laughing and smiling, as if neither one of them had been depressed just a half an hour previously. After an hour or so of Sonny showing up Chad with her superior skating skills, the two retired, returning their skates and continuing their stroll around the park. Their moods had been considerably lifting by the activity.

As they passed a park bench, Chad beckoned for Sonny to sit down with him. He took her hands and looked deep into her eyes. "Sonny, I love you so much."

"I love you too," She said smiling, as he leaned in to kiss her. As he pulled away, Sonny could tell by his face that something was making him nervous.

"So much that I never want to be without you. So, I was just wondering," He released her hands, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small black box. "Would you marry me?" He flipped open the box to reveal a stunning diamond ring, encrusted with sapphires.

Sonny gasped; it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. Her hand was shaking as she reached over to lightly touch it. She could not believe she was about to become engaged to Chad Dylan Cooper.

And then she remembered how miserable Chad was here in Wisconsin. She could not subject him to a life where he would never be happy. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She was breaking her own heart just thinking about it, and before she could stop herself, Sonny had shook her head no.

"I. . . I can't. I'm so sorry, Chad."

Chad could not believe his ears. Sonny, the love of his life, the one he was convinced he was meant to be with for the rest of his life, had just denied his marriage proposal. Sonny's tears were now flowing freely. Chad had dropped the small box he was holding, and was currently gaping at her. "_What?_ Why?" It more more like a plead than a question.

Sonny took a deep, shaky breath and ran a hand over her face, wishing she didn't have to say the words that she was thinking, but it was inevitable. "I think you should go back to Los Angeles."

Chad's face fell from shock to sadness. He looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Oh. Well, if that's how you feel, then maybe I should go." He spoke the words in an eerily calm manner. Then, very robot-like, he bent over to scoop up the ring he had dropped, turned around, and walked away, leaving a sobbing Sonny on the park bench.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Thanks for the reviews and favorites! That means a lot to me. So here's chapter two. Still pretty sad, but there's some light at the end of the tunnel, I promise! Hope you enjoy. Please R&R. Thank you again!

**Chapter 2**

She did not know how long she had been sitting on the bench before Sonny finally got the strength to move. She began to walk, not fully aware of where her feet were leading her, only knowing that she did not want to return to her apartment. She felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest, and she could not stand facing Chad. She would, undoubtedly, crack her willpower and agree to marry him, sentencing him to an unfulfilling life with her.

"Don't think about it," She whispered to herself over and over again, trying to block out the miserable memories that had just taken form. But it was futile, she could think of nothing else but Chad.

It had gotten dark out long before Sonny had stopped walking. Looking around, she was shocked to find that she had made her way to her childhood home, the two family house where her mother and grandparents resided. She knocked at the door, and after a moment it flew open, revealing Sonny's mother.

"Sonny, what are you doing-"

But before her mother could finish her question, Sonny reached out to grab the door frame for support before everything went dark.

"Wake up, Sunshine, please wake up."

Sonny's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up into the face of her mother. "Mom? What happened?"

"I was going to ask you the same question. You fainted. How do you feel?"

Sonny tried to sit up on the couch her mother had apparently carried her to, but she could barely lift her head. She raised it an inch before it fell heavy back onto the pillow. "Terrible," She responded.

"Let me go get you a drink of water," Connie said, hurriedly walking out of the room towards the kitchen. "Have you eaten today?" She called.

"No, I don't think so. I can't remember."

Her mother reemerged with a glass of water. "Drink up, I'll make you something to eat."

Sonny forced down a few sips of water; she was neither hungry nor thirsty. She set down the glass and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Connie returned moments later, carrying a sandwich. Sonny tried to refuse it, but her mother begged her to at least take a few bites. They felt like lead as she swallowed.

Without another word to her mother, Sonny feebly managed to stand up. She slowly walked out of the room and to the guest bedroom that she used to call her own. The second she closed the door, she threw herself onto the bed and began bawling hysterically.

Out in the hallway, Connie had followed Sonny, and was quietly listening to her daughters cries through the doorway. She softly crept back into the living room, picking up her phone and dialing the one person who may have had an idea of what happened to make Sonny so upset.

"Hello?" A soft, almost dead voice answered the phone.

"What happened to my daughter?" Connie demanded.

"What do you mean?" Life had suddenly sprung into Chad's voice, filled with worry and concern.

"Why did she show up at my door at eight o'clock at night, looking like she had gone to Hell and back, and ready to pass out?"

Chad was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to the dullness he began with. "I don't know why _she's_ so upset. _She's_ not the one who just got rejected."

"What?" Connie asked.

"I thought that Sonny loved me as much as I love her. I thought she would want to be my wife. I guess I was wrong." Pain was dripping through Chad's words. He was clearly devastated.

Connie gasped. "Oh, Chad-"

"Tell her that I'm leaving for my flight. I'll be out of her life soon."

And before she could respond with any words of comfort, Chad had hung up the phone. Connie sighed, lying down on the couch. In the morning, she would talk to Sonny.

Sonny stumbled out of bed the next morning and looked in the mirror. She was still wearing her clothes from yesterday, and her makeup was left tear-stained, smearing down her face. She didn't care though. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered.

She stumbled out into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing breakfast. Sonny silently sat down at the table, as Connie placed a plate of waffles and fruit under her nose.

"Eat." She commanded her daughter, and Sonny mechanically did as she was told. Connie poured a glass of orange juice, setting it down next to Sonny, and taking a place at the table across from her. "We need to talk."

Sonny set down her fork and took a sip of her juice. "About what?" She said dimly.

"You know full well what. I spoke to Chad last night."

Sonny tutted and sighed, expecting the lecture she was about to receive from her mother. "Of course you did."

"Yes, I was very worried about you! You show up her, clearly sick, with no explanation- of course I'm going to look for answers!" Sonny rolled her eyes, stabbing at a strawberry with her fork. "What happened with him?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Sonny said, mouth filled with fruit.

"Well, he told me he proposed. And he must be back in Los Angeles by now." Sonny dropped her fork again, starring down at her plate, but only because she didn't want to look at her mother.

"I said I didn't want to talk about it." She repeated.

Connie pushed her daughter to give her a real answer. "Why didn't you say yes to him? I thought you loved him."

"I do." Sonny whispered.

"So what happened?"

Sonny took a deep breath, and confessed to her mother why she couldn't marry Chad. She explained how she could tell how unhappy he was in Wisconsin, and how she couldn't subject him to that life. Connie nodded, digesting what her daughter was explaining.

"Are _you_ happy in Wisconsin?" Her mother asked.

"Yes," Sonny said thickly. "Of course I am."

"But the things you love aren't here."

"You're here." Sonny looked at her mother, who smiled.

"Yes, but I'll always be here for you, sweetie. I thought you loved L.A.? Isn't acting your passion? Aren't your best friends there?"

"I can't be an actress." Her head slumped down, "I'm not good enough. I'd just become a washed up has-been."

Connie smiled. "Honey, is that why you came back to Wisconsin? You were afraid of becoming a has-been?" Sonny nodded. "Well, that's not the daughter I raised! _My_ daughter is a hell of a lot stronger than someone who runs away instead of taking a risk! _My_ daughter would be proud of what she's done, and would know that things always have a way of working out!"

Sonny, who's eyes had widened at her mother's speech, felt her face contort back to sadness. "Mom, I'm so scared."

"Everyone is scared, baby. You think everyone goes around playing it safe because they don't know what the future might hold? Taking chances is what takes people to better places in life. No one can truly be satisfied playing it safe all the time, you have to have a little risk once in a while! I thought you out of all people would know that, Sonny."

"When did I become so weak?" She whispered to herself.

"Everyone is weak sometimes. Our strengths comes from when we can overcome those weaknesses."

Sonny nodded. "Thanks Mom." She stood up, "I've been a coward. I guess I know what I have to do now."

Connie stood up as well. "Good luck, sweetie. I hope everything works out." The two women embraced, bidding their farewells, before Sonny headed out the door and sprinted back to her apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Sorry it took me a ridiculously long time to update! I was having some serious trouble writing this chapter, as it's pretty much a filler to get Sonny to where I need her to be. I promise, updates from now on will be much faster, and the chapters will be much more interesting. But I hope you enjoy this little chappy in the meantime!

**Chapter 3**

It was the fastest that Sonny had ever ran a mile in her life. Within a few minutes, clutching her stomach and breathing heavily, she was pushing open the door to the apartment.

"Chad?" She called hopefully, wondering the likelihood of him changing his mind and not going back to L.A. so quickly. But silence answered her call, and she could tell by the items sprawled around the rooms that Chad packed and left in a haste. She held back the tears that were once again begging to fall. This was no time for crying.

Pulling out her phone, Sonny pressed the number two on her speed dial. It did not even ring before going to voicemail.

"Chad," Sonny began desperately, "Please call me back when you get this. I made a terrible mistake. I at least owe you an explanation. I'm begging you, please call me back. I. . . I love you."

She hung up the phone and tossed it onto her couch, running to her bedroom, where she frantically pulled open her laptop and searched for a flight into L.A.X. She gasped in excitement; there was one scheduled to take off in just over three hours. If she hurried, she could be on that plane.

She purchased the tickets, called a cab company, then, in a furious wave of haste, began grabbing random items around her room and throwing them into a backpack. She did not have time to pack a full suitcase, and luggage claim would just waste time. Sooner than she had ever thought possible, Sonny was in the cab, beckoning the driver to go as fast as he could.

It was quite a hike to the airport. The closest one to Sonny's town was over forty-five minutes away. She grew quite impatient when, due to traffic, the ride took closer to an hour. Once she made it inside the airport, likewise, the wait through security seemed to be endless. Sonny could not stop fidgeting and releasing exasperated sighs until she passed through the metal detector, at which point she broke into a run towards her terminal.

"Delayed?" She shouted, earning glares from those within earshot, as she read the bulletin above the ticket counter.

The woman behind the counter smiled apologetically at her. "The snow should ease up shortly, and then we'll be boarding. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Sonny returned the smile meekly. She trudged over to a vacated chair and slumped into it, tossing her backpack to the floor and resting her head in her hands. She felt as though she would never make it to Chad. In an effort to clear her mind, she pulled her MP3 player out of her pocket, sticking in her head phones and allowing the music take her away.

An annoying tap on her shoulder made Sonny jump. She must have fallen asleep, and she ripped open her eyes to find the ticket lady staring at her. "Miss, we're boarding now." Sonny looked around. Everyone seemed to have already boarded the plane or was in line to hand over their tickets. Sonny thanked the woman, grabbed her belongings and joined the queue.

It was a rocky flight, to say the least. Sonny had never experienced motion sickness before, but the turbulence during this trip had Sonny spending the majority of the flight hunched over the toilet in the bathroom. She was grateful when, three long hours later, they finally landed at L.A.X.

Sonny, hurrying out of the busy airport, reached into her bag to grab her cell phone. Hopefully Chad would answer and she could have a taxi bring her to his house. She groped throughout her bag feeling frantically for her phone. Panic set in: she had left her phone lying on her couch in Wisconsin. She groaned; for all she knew, Chad could have been trying to call her for the last several hours.

She looked around, trying to find a pay phone. Finally she spotted one, hastily shoved coins into the slot and dialed Chad's number.

It once again went straight to voicemail.

Without bothering to leave a message this time, Sonny went outside to hail a taxi. If she showed up at Chad's house, he would have no choice but to talk to her.

She gave the cabby the address, and in no time they were pulling up to the stately house that Chad had shared with his best friend before he and Sonny moved. Surely this is the place he would return to when he fled Wisconsin. After thanking the driver and handing him some cash, she made her way to the house, unsure of what to say once she was face-to-face with Chad.

Sonny reached the door and knocked, and after a few moments the door was opened by Chad's best friend and former costar, Ferguson.

"Sonny?" he questioned, clearly confused at her appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, is Chad here?" She asked tentatively, peeking her head over Ferguson's shoulder in order to see in the house, in hopes that perhaps Chad was standing just in the doorway.

"No, he's not. Listen Sonny, I think you'd better go. Don't worry about Chad. He'll be fine without you." Ferguson told her, trying to back into the house and close the door, but Sonny grabbed his wrist in protest.

"What do you mean? Where is he?" She was starting to panic.

"Sonny, just go. I can't tell you where he is. He's really messed up because of you. I'm not going to let you just run off to him so you can break his heart some more." He was giving her a look of disgust.

"No, Ferguson! I don't want to hurt him, I want-" But before she could finish telling him what she wanted to tell Chad, he had closed the door in her face.

"ERGH!" Sonny screamed in rage and exasperation, kicking the door with force.

_Well now what?_ She thought to herself, looking around. There was only one place Sonny could think to go, and while it wasn't exactly a close walk, she had no other options. Still feeling slightly woozy from her flight, she set off towards Tawni's apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Writer's block cured! HUZZAH! Enjoy, all you lovely people out there.

PS- Yes, I know that Santiago Heraldo works for Tween Weekly, but I figured a few years have passed, and maybe he works for something a bit more mature now. Let's think of Stars Weekly as Tween Weekly's older brother.

**Chapter 4**

Despite the feeling of nausea that stayed with Sonny during the entirety of her walk, she finally managed to make it to Tawni's apartment building.

She reached the door, pushing the very last button, which next to it read _Tawni Hart_.

"Who is it?" Tawni answered in a singsong voice after a moment.

"Sonny." She responded rather hoarsely.

"Sonny?" Tawni exclaimed, and without further question, the lock on the door released, and Sonny stumbled inside and over to the elevator. She slammed her finger against the last button before crashing her body against the wall and slumping onto the floor, her body completely worn out.

She did not know when she began to feel so crummy, but Sonny barely had the energy to stand back up, and instead shifted to the side and leaned her head against the hard carpet in the lift.

After a minute the elevator doors opened, revealing an excited yet confused blonde on the other side. The gigantic smile that was plastered on her face at the prospect of seeing her best friend immediately vanished when she saw the brunette laying in a heap on the floor.

"Oh my gosh, Sonny!"

Tawni helped her friend to her feet and escorted her across the hall into her apartment, where she lead her the sofa in the living room. Sonny sat down as Tawni hustled off to the the kitchen to pour her a glass of water.

"Here, drink this." Tawni handed her the glass, and Sonny obediently chugged. After a moment she felt her strength returning.

"Thanks, I think I was dehydrated." Tawni nodded in response before looking at Sonny expectantly. "What?" Sonny asked.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here? Last time I heard from you, you were off in Wisconsin with Chad, and now you show up unannounced, nearly pass out, and look like you've just seen death. Care to elaborate?"

"Chad. . . Chad left."

"Oh honey," Tawni gasped, "I am so sorry. What happened?"

Sonny dove into her story, starting with Chad's proposal, and leading to her current predicament of trying to track him down.

"And. . . I had no where else to go, so I came here." She finished lamely, glancing up at Tawni, who was sitting next to her, staring in shock.

Then, in a very un-Tawni-like gesture, she put an arm around Sonny and embraced her in a hug. "Sweetie, you're welcome here anytime. And tomorrow we'll track down Chad. I can't believe you walked all the way here from his old house!" She exclaimed, releasing Sonny and standing up. "You must be starving, let me grab you something to eat!"

Even though Sonny was still feeling nauseous, she decided that putting food in her system would be for the best. "Can I have a grilled cheese?" She asked tentatively, suddenly realizing that she was craving her favorite childhood food.

"Sure thing, hun." Tawni smiled, disappearing into the kitchen once again.

Sonny barely slept that night. It seemed that what she thought was flight sickness was actually a stomach bug, and she was continuously woken up with urge to vomit.

It was almost noon when Sonny finally managed to crawl out of bed the following day. She stumbled into the kitchen to (surprisingly) find Tawni standing over the stove, clad in an apron and holding a spatula, preparing what smelled like eggs and bacon. She kept glancing over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the celebrity entertainment show that was on TV.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Tawni greeted her happily when she finally noticed that Sonny had entered the room. "Hope you're hungry!"

Though she still felt sick to her stomach, Sonny accepted the food that Tawni had just scooped onto a plate and laid in front of her. She was only a few bites in when the terrible feeling in her stomach heightened and she had to run off to the bathroom.

She emerged several minutes later, to find a very worried looking Tawni. "Maybe we'd better get you to a doctor."

"No," Sonny determinedly replied, "It's just a bug. It'll pass."

Tawni shrugged and returned her attention to her food. Sonny, who could not stand to even be in the same room as the food, went out into the living room to open a window, when something on the television caught her attention.

"_Chad Dylan Cooper back in LA? I'm Santiago Heraldo, and I have breaking news on the former teen heartthrob." _A large picture of Chad wearing his old show's uniform appeared on the screen._ "It seems as though the former _Mackenzie Falls_ star, who last year suddenly stepped out of the spotlight with his girlfriend, Sonny Monroe, is back in Hollywood, and has reunited with old costar and on-screen flame, Marta Balatico." _The TV cut to a photo of Chad sitting on the beach next to a girl that Sonny knew all too well._ "The two were spotted at Marta's beachfront home, reportedly "getting cozy" in the sand. No word yet on if Chad is still with Sonny Monroe, but it certainly looks like the pair are taking some time apart." _A picture of herself and Chad holding hands flashed on-screen. _"So could this be a secret love affair between Cooper and Balatico?" _The picture changed yet again to one of Chad and Marta sitting on the beach, but this time Marta's head was on his shoulder._ "We'll keep you updated. For _Stars Weekly TV_, I'm Santiago Heraldo."_

Sonny stood there gaping at the television screen, thoughts rushing around her head. _Chad. . . Marta. . . Love affair. . . time apart. . . _It was all too much for her to take.

"Sonny?" Tawni softly called to her, but before Sonny could muster up the strength for a response, she felt the world shift beneath her and her head spin, heard a buzzing in her ear, and suddenly, she saw everything fade to black.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- I wrote a completely different Chapter 5, absolutely hated it, and then started over. There were no cigarettes in the original version, and I'm not sure why I added it in. I think it just shows how upset Chad really is, he's resorted to smoking. Sorry if you really hate that I added that in.

I think that this is the second to last chapter. Not sure yet. We'll see!

Love you all. Enjoy.

**Chapter 5**

Chad exhaled, releasing a cloud of smoke into the salty air. He mindlessly flicked his cigarette ash in the sand next to him as he gazed out into the pristine ocean. The beach brought him peace of mind. It was comforting and carefree, something he was in desperate need of right then.

Sonny would absolutely kill him if she knew that he was smoking, and frankly, he couldn't care less. It's not like he was addicted; he could stop whenever he liked. The problem was that he didn't _want_ to stop.

Normally he would have done anything for Sonny, but ever since he felt that horrible stab of pain from her rejecting him, he was determined to keep all thoughts of her from controlling his life. Of course, he was failing miserably, but that didn't stop Chad from trying. He had to keep forcing himself to light another cigarette, just because it was the most un-Sonny-like activity he could think of. When he came back to L.A., he decided to stay with the one person who did not in the least remind him of her.

Marta Balatico was the anti-Sonny. She was not a good girl, she was not bright and bubbly, and, best of all, Chad was not head over heels in love with her. In fact, he could hardly stand his former costar. He thought that by coming here, Marta would force any and all thoughts of Sonny out of his head, but his plan drastically backfired. His constant annoyance with Marta caused him to mentally, and quite often verbally, compare her to the girl he was in love with. She was not to happy about this, and truthfully, neither was Chad. How could he get over Sonny is he was was reminded of her every minute of every day?

Maybe he didn't want to get over her, he thought to himself. No, he knew he didn't. He loved Sonny. It had taken him years to admit it, and finally when he is comfortable with the idea that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, she breaks his heart. It was unbearably maddening.

Chad remembered when he first met Sonny. He was 15, and there was something totally different about her; it intrigued him. He would go out of his way to see her at Condor Studios, and he never gave up a chance to bicker with her. He had been in denial that he was attracted to her. For two years he would tease and torment her, hiding the fact that he had come to terms with liking her, and it wasn't until an awkward misunderstanding that he finally got up the nerve to ask her out.

They dated off an on for a year and a half. It was a rocky start to their relationship, but both had a hard time letting go of their former routine arguments. Finally, after the worst fight they had ever endured, Chad realized that losing Sonny for good would tear him apart. He loved her. He would do anything for her, including giving up acting and moving halfway across the country.

_What a mistake_, Chad thought, taking another drag of his cigarette. He wished he had never met Sonny. How could she do that to him? After everything they went through? Had it all been a lie? Had she never actually loved him the way she had made it seem?

_BANG!_

A loud noise startled Chad out of his reverie. He whipped his head around to find the source of the commotion.

Two girls were sprinting out of the house, one chasing after the other.

"Chad!" The girl in the lead yelled, frantically waving her arms in the air.

"Tawni?" Chad said to himself, confused. He put his cigarette out in the stand and got to his feet.

"No!" Marta called, trailing behind, "You'd better stop, Hart!" But Tawni ignored her and continued to run towards Chad.

She finally reached him, out of breath, bending over and resting her hands on her knees. "Chad. . . You need to come quick. . . Hospital. . ."

"What?" He asked, his confusion peaking, but before he could get a response, Marta caught up with the two and collided into Tawni.

_WHAM!_

The two girls fell the the sand, Marta pinning Tawni down and apparently trying to claw at her. Tawni was screaming and trying to fight the girl off.

"AHH! GET! OFF! OF! ME! YOU PSYCHOPATH!"

Chad jumped in and with all his might forced Marta off of Tawni, dragging her away and pinning her arms behind her back. She stood there struggling to be released as Tawni got to her feet and dusted herself off.

"You should be locked up! You are crazy! All I wanted was to see Chad!" Tawni screamed, pointing to Marta and then at Chad.

"You want to take him back to _her_! I'm not going to let you do that!" Marta yelled, still writhing. "She doesn't deserve him! She said _no_!"

"Marta," Chad began cooly, "Just shut up and let Tawni talk. Please?" At the sound of Chad's tone, Marta stopped squirming and curtly nodded her head. Chad released her and she collapsed into the sand. He glanced down at her before looking up at Tawni. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Sonny's in the hospital! You need to come with me right away!"

Chad's insides froze up. Sonny was in the hospital? Was she alright? Was she seriously hurt? His heart was pounding with worry, but he kept a cool demeanor. He could not let Tawni know that he was concerned.

"And why would I do that? She's not my girlfriend anymore." He said dully.

Tawni's face fell into shock and she cocked her head slightly to the side. "Because you love each other! When you love someone you stand by them when they're hurt."

"She doesn't love me." His words were dripping with scorn. "If she loved me she wouldn't have said no."

Tawni sounded desperate when she spoke. "I know that she loves you. Trust me, I can tell. Now will you please come back to the hospital with me?"

Chad looked down at the pathetic form in the sand that was Marta and was thoughtful for a moment. She was looking up at him with pleading eyes, but he could see right through them and into the selfish soul that was underneath. He frowned, remembering looking into Sonny's eyes and seeing only warmth and kindness. In a split second, Chad had made up his mind, and before he could stop himself, he was nodding at Tawni.

"Let's go." Chad began walking briskly towards the street, Tawni hurriedly following behind. He ignored Marta's shouts of reproach, and instead focused his attention back to the prospect of Sonny in the hospital.

"What happened to her?" He asked Tawni once they were back in the car.

"She cracked her head open."

Chad had a terrible mental image of Sonny laying on the ground, her head surrounded by blood. He fought back the urge to both be sick and let out a hysterical sob. "How the hell did that happen?" He managed to ask.

Tawni took a deep breath. "She fainted and slammed her head against my coffee table. It was not pretty."

"Fainted? Why did she faint?"

"She's been really sick. She's been puking up any food she eats and yesterday she was dehydrated, so that could have been part of it."

"Part of it?" Chad asked, confused by Tawni's choice of phrasing. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing that _really_ put her over the edge was seeing you on _Star Weekly_. I don't think she could handle seeing you and Marta together, so she just went down." She explained with a shrug.

Chad made a disgusted sound and grew silent for the remainder of the car ride.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- This is it! The last chapter! I hope you like it. PLEASE write a review when you're done! I'll greatly appreciate it. I love you all, and thank you so much for reading!

Please excuse Chad's rudecrude thought. "Whimp" or "sissy" didn't have the same vibe.

**Chapter 6**

Chad stood nervously outside of Sonny's hospital room thirty minutes later, debating on whether or not to enter. Tawni, sensing his edginess, had left him alone while she went to get a coffee, which he was grateful for. He did not want Tawni forcing him to see Sonny, or her to see, as hard as he would try to keep his cool, the inevitable tears that would escape him.

_Don't be a pussy, Cooper, _Chad thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door_._

The room was stark and somber, as hospital rooms usually are. Sonny was laying asleep on the bed, hooked up to an IV, head wrapped in fresh bandages. The sight of her in such a pitiful state caused Chad's heart to crack. He was used to seeing her smiling and chipper. Now she was quite the opposite.

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her sleeping body, gazing intently at her face. God he missed looking at her. It had only been two days since he last saw her, but it felt like an eternity. He missed holding her; he missed touching her; he missed telling her how much he loved her. He reached over and laid a hand on her ice cold cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb. Instinctively, he leaned in and softly touched his lips to hers. Even though the were cold and unresponsive, Chad could still feel the sparks he experienced every time they kissed.

As if taken straight from a fairy tale, the moment Chad pulled his lips away, Sonny's eyes fluttered opened.

"Chad?" She whispered after a moment, a small smile playing on her lips. Then, suddenly the smile faded, and she jumped to sit straight up. "Chad! Oh Chad, I am so sorry!" Tears began forming in her eyes and she made an attempt to get to her feet. Chad hoped up and wrapped his arms around her, forcing her to lie back on the bed as she began to cry hysterically.

"Shh, shh. Sonny, it's alright," He cooed into her ear, "Just relax. It's going it be fine."

"No it's not!" She wailed, "I've been such an idiot! I'm so sorry! I don't want you to leave me again!"

Chad ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. "Now please, just calm down. I'll be right here next to you."

Sonny's cries subsided as she relaxed, and soon she had slowed to loud sniffs. "I need to explain myself to you." She told him, casting him a pleading look. Chad was silent, but nodded. When she next spoke, it was in a soft whisper. "I love you so much, and I know you love me, but I could tell that you weren't happy in Wisconsin. I can't marry you when I know that I'd just be making your life miserable. You would never be happy there, and I didn't think that I had the strength to make it in L.A. You would have been happier living here and being without me."

"Sonny, that's ridiculous-" Chad began.

"Please, let me finish. I thought that I'd be better off playing it safe and staying in Wisconsin, but I was just afraid. I was afraid that I'd become a washed up has-been and that I'd never get work after _So Random_, but I know that just being there with you, even if I _do_ become washed up, would make me the happiest girl in the world. I love you, Chad, and I'm so sorry that I was an idiot."

"Well," Chad began, "You certainly were an idiot. How could you think that I'd be happier without you? Don't you know that I've been miserable since I left?"

Sonny sniffed again. "Can you ever forgive me?"

He smirked. "I might forgive you, _if_. . . "

"If what?" Sonny asked, rolling her eyes.

"If you'll agree to marry me." He finished. Sonny beamed.

"Of course I will, but only if you promise me we can move back to L.A."

Chad smiled broadly and nodded leaning in to give Sonny another kiss, this time warmth and love pulsing through them.

"So," Chad said once he pulled away, "Don't you want to know why you're in here?"

Sonny looked around confused, as if she only just realized that she was in a hospital room. "The last thing I remember was watching _Stars Weekly_ and they were showing you and. . ." Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Chad, "_Marta_.What were you doing getting cozy with her?"

"What are you talking about?" Chad asked in shock.

"I saw the pictures of you and her on the beach! You looked like you were cuddling."

Realization hit Chad like a ton of bricks. "Oh! Yeah, that. Marta was just trying to comfort me. She knew how upset I was, so she was trying to be nice. It didn't really work, her touching me just got me pissed off." He chuckled. Sonny grinned.

"Alright, I believe you. So what happened to me?"

As Chad was explaining to Sonny what Tawni had told him about her being sick and fainting, the doctor walked in carrying a clip board.

"Excuse me, Miss Monroe? I was wondering if I could talk to you in private?" The doctor glanced at Chad who made to get up, but Sonny grabbed his wrist.

"No! No, if you don't mind, I want him to stay with me."

"Are you sure? I would like to discuss some private information."

"He's my fiancé," Sonny explained. "Whatever you have to tell me, he can hear as well."

The doctor nodded. "Well Allison, your forehead will heal just fine. Nothing a few stitches couldn't heal up. What I would like to talk to you about is your chronic nausea. It appears as though you're suffering from a mild case of Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or severe morning sickness. It's not very common, and in severe cases is not treatable, but with bed rest and the proper nutrition you should be just fine."

"M-morning sickness?" Sonny asked.

"Yes, Miss Monroe. You're about six weeks pregnant."

Chad's mouth fell open in shock and Sonny gasped. "I'm- We're going to have a _baby_?" She asked, looking from the doctor to her fiancé.

"We're going to have a baby." Chad repeated. "We're going to have a _baby_!" His face of shock transformed into a smile once again as he jumped up and kissed Sonny hard on the lips.

"Just be wary that not taking the proper precautions could be detrimental to your unborn child. Try to avoid stress and activity. Make sure you are getting enough food. If you still have trouble keeping your meals down, call me and we'll schedule you an appointment to have a feeding tube inserted. But don't worry, it shouldn't come to that, as long as you take it easy." Sonny nodded, feeling a bit uneasy and vowing to herself to take it slow and try to keep down her food. "The nurse will be in soon to check on you. And congratulations to the both of you."

The doctor left and Sonny and Chad sat in awe for a moment. "Chad, we're going to be parents," she said, trying to digest the news.

"I know," Chad said, standing back up and moving to Sonny's bed. She shifted to the side, allowing him to slide in next to her. He cuddled closed to her, placing his chin on her shoulder and his hand on her stomach, moving it in small comforting circles. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," she whispered back, twisting her head around for another kiss. At the moment, she didn't care that they were in a hospital bed. She didn't care that her head was covered in stitches and bandages. She didn't care that it was possible that she would need a feeding tube. All that mattered to her was the man lying next to her, and the gift of their love inside of her.

Well, it was _almost_ all that mattered to her.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, have you been _smoking_? You _reek_ of cigarettes!"

Chad jumped up, backing towards the door nervously. "I, uh, am going to go down and get a coffee. I'll send Tawni back up!" And, ignoring the angry shouts coming from Sonny's room, Chad sprinted down the hallway.

He'd try the cuddling thing later, after a shower and some mouth wash.

A/N- Idk about the ending. Meh.

I have Chad and Sonny's entire lives planned out for them. I smell one shot follow-ups and prequels in the future.

R&R! Please and thank you XoX


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